Daubenton's bat

About the Daubenton's bat

Daubenton's bat or Daubenton's myotis (Myotis daubentonii) is a Eurasian bat with rather short ears. It occurs across Eurasia, from Ireland in the west to Hokkaido in the east, and is believed to be increasing its numbers in many areas of its range.

This bat was first described in 1817 by Heinrich Kuhl, who named it in honour of French naturalist Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton. Daubenton's bat is a medium-sized to small species. The bat's fluffy fur is brownish-grey on the back and silvery-grey on the underside. Juveniles have darker fur than adults. The bats have reddish-pink faces and noses, but the area around the eyes is bare. When the bat is agitated, the ears are held at right angles. The wings and tail membrane are dark brown.

Daubenton's bat is typically 45 to 55 mm long, with an average wingspan of 240 to 275 mm, and weighs between 7 and 15 g. Daubenton's bats can live for up to 22 years. In Lieto, Finland a male called Nestori that lives in an old water mill has been tracked since 2008 and was approximately 21 years old in 2024. Daubenton's bat is found throughout Ireland and Europe, and as far as Japan and Korea. The bat is mostly... Wikipedia →